Interoceptive Sensitivity (IS):

Interoceptive sensitivity (IS) refers to the objective ability to accurately detect, perceive, and track internal physiological signals of the body, such as heartbeat, respiration, hunger, fullness, and pain. There is high and low sensitivity, as follows: 

• Heightened interoceptive sensitivity (especially when combined with misinterpreting signals as threatening) is a risk factor for anxiety disorders, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and health anxiety, as individuals may be hyper-focused on body symptoms.
• Poor or diminished interoceptive sensitivity is associated with eating disorders (difficulty recognizing hunger/fullness cues), depression, and self-injurious behavior (difficulty identifying or regulating affective states at lower intensities).